Built to
Report
the Truth
Without Permission
Spy Investigative Journalism was founded on a single belief: that genuine accountability reporting can only come from a newsroom that is genuinely free. Free from corporate pressure, free from political patronage, free from the commercial incentives that make difficult journalism too expensive to publish.
Why
Spy
Exists
Most newsrooms operate inside structures that limit what they can say and who they can investigate. Advertisers withdraw spend. Owners apply pressure. Legal teams counsel silence. The result is a media landscape full of stories that were spiked, softened, or never commissioned.
Spy was built outside those structures deliberately. Our editorial decisions are made by journalists, reviewed by an independent editorial board, and published without interference. That is not a marketing claim. It is our founding document.
When the commercial calculus says don't publish, we ask one question only: is it true? If the answer is yes, we publish it.
The Standards That
Govern Everything
We Publish
We hold ourselves to a code we publish openly and update when the industry demands it. These are not guidelines. They are non-negotiable conditions of publication.
Every allegation is put to the subject before publication. Their response is included in full, or their silence is noted on the record. No exceptions, regardless of deadline pressure.
Documents are verified at source level, not taken at face value. We confirm provenance, check for alteration, and triangulate through independent channels before a document appears in print.
Unnamed sources are corroborated by at least one independent piece of evidence. A single anonymous tip, however credible it sounds, does not make a publishable story without supporting material.
Corrections are published prominently, not buried in footnotes. When we are wrong, we say so clearly, visibly, and without euphemism. Our corrections record is publicly archived.
Our funding sources are disclosed publicly so readers can assess any potential conflict. Every grant, every reader contribution, every income stream is listed in our annual transparency report.
Journalists Who
Have Earned
the Right to Dig
Our team brings decades of combined experience across investigative reporting, data journalism, legal affairs, and source protection. We have worked inside major national newsrooms and left to build something more honest. Every reporter at Spy has broken a story that someone powerful tried to stop. That is not a coincidence. It is a hiring standard.
Twenty-two years in investigative journalism. Former national affairs correspondent at two major mastheads before founding Spy. Has testified before parliamentary committees on press freedom. Broke four stories that resulted in formal government inquiries.
Press Freedom Award 2021Specialist in financial crime, procurement fraud, and corporate malfeasance. Former legal affairs editor. Has led multi-year investigations that resulted in criminal referrals. Certified data journalist with expertise in document analysis and FOIA strategy.
Investigative Reporter of the Year 2023Leads Spy's data journalism operation and source security protocols. Developed our anonymous tip infrastructure and trains all reporters in operational security. Background in computer science and investigative methods. Advisor to three regional journalism schools.
Digital Journalism Pioneer 2022The Standard We Hire To
Every reporter at Spy has broken a story that someone powerful tried to stop. We are always looking for journalists who have been told a story cannot be published, and published it anyway.
How We Work
What sources, readers, and fellow journalists most often want to know about Spy and our process.
Who owns Spy Investigative Journalism?
Where does Spy's funding come from?
What standards govern what you publish?
How do you protect sources who come to you?
Has Spy ever been successfully sued?
Can I contribute a story or tip to Spy?
Talk to a Journalist
You Can Trust
Whether you are a source, a reader, a fellow journalist, or an organisation that wants to understand our process, we are reachable and we respond. Confidentiality is guaranteed on every inquiry, without exception.